


None the Wiser

by keepyourpantsongohan



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, Developing Relationships, First Dates, Friendship/Love, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Humour, M/M, Matchmaking, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 17:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16330040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepyourpantsongohan/pseuds/keepyourpantsongohan
Summary: Tenzō’s suspicions grow deeper. “What kind of friend are we discussing, Kakashi-senpai?”“A good friend,” says Kakashi quickly, but they’ve known each other too long for Tenzō to buy it.A disoriented kind of laughter rises up in Tenzō’s throat, and it’s only being in the Hokage’s office that prevents it from escaping him. “Kakashi, are you trying to get my help arranging a date?”





	None the Wiser

“Tenzō,” asks Kakashi, when the other man arrives in his office, “if you were going to plan an evening out with someone, where would you go?”

He should’ve known it would be something like this. The message asking if he was available to talk had come on his day off, and it hadn’t sounded particularly urgent.

Tenzō sighs, but his lips twitch upward. It’s rare that Kakashi solicits advice of his own accord. “Depends on the person, senpai. If I was taking the members of Team 7 somewhere, it’d probably be the Ichiraku Ramen stand.” 

Kakashi nods. “And if you were taking a... friend?”

There is something off about the tone of the last word, but he cannot place it. “What, like you?”

“Exactly like me,” says Kakashi, more firmly. 

“It would be easiest to ask you where you’d like to go first.” Tenzō watches as Kakashi’s mask pulls downwards as if he’s frowning. “Is something wrong with that answer?”

Sighing, Kakashi rises from his seat and shrugs. “Not really. It’s just not what I was looking for.” He moves forward, sitting on the edge of his desk and then narrows his eyes. “What about if someone asked you where you want to go?”

Laughing, Tenzō says, “You know, if  _I_  plan your evening, it won’t mean as much to your friend.”

“Humour me.”

“I’d like something relaxing. Dinner and a soak in the hot springs wouldn’t go amiss,” he says, a thoughtful hand rising to his chin. 

This answer seems more satisfactory to Kakashi, but he clears his throat, gaze drifting away from Tenzō. “Might bringing someone to the hot springs without prior notice be a little presumptuous?” 

“In what sense? I’ve always found that nakedness brings companions close together.”

If he’s not mistaken, there are pink cheeks visible over the edge of Kakashi’s mask. “I don’t want to my friend to think I’m only trying to be  _that_  close.”

Tenzō’s suspicions grow deeper. “What kind of friend are we discussing, Kakashi-senpai?”

“A good friend,” says Kakashi quickly, but they’ve known each other too long for Tenzō to buy it. 

A disoriented kind of laughter rises up in Tenzō’s throat, and it’s only being in the Hokage’s office that prevents it from escaping him. “Kakashi, are you trying to get my help arranging a date?”

The awful shade of red that Kakashi’s face turns is all the answer he needs. A chuckle does escape him, but he smiles fondly at his Hokage. It’s nice to see Kakashi flustered, since he’s usually on the other end of it. More gently, he asks, “Is there someone you’re seeing?”

Kakashi sighs. “No. But I think I could, if I can figure out how to ask them,” he admits. 

The part of Tenzō that is still eighteen and enamoured with Kakashi feels a hint of longing, but he disregards it, because anything that brings his friend happiness is worthwhile. “So you wanted my advice.”

“You seemed like the best person to ask.” 

Tenzō raises his eyebrows. “I haven’t dated that much in the past few years.”

Kakashi shrugs again. “I know. But I trust your opinion.” 

The eyebrows raise further. They’ve likely disappeared under his happuri. “I’m honoured.”

“So, dinner and hot springs, huh?” Kakashi muses. His face has finally return to its normal shade. “Would you care to check them out with me today?”

Scouting out a location for a date in advance is much more Tenzō’s style than Kakashi’s, so the request has him taken aback.  _They must be very important to him_ , Tenzō thinks, but what he replies is, “I’d be happy to help.”

* * *

 “Have you thought about how you’re going to approach them?” asks Tenzō, passing Kakashi a bowl of curry. 

Kakashi hums as he serves himself more food. “It’s difficult to come up with the words,” he says, a little sheepishly. 

It’s endearing to see Kakashi so invested in something. It makes Tenzō want to aid him all the more, if only to ensure that he gets a fighting chance at whatever he’s looking to achieve. 

Confessing to someone is difficult. There’s a reason Tenzō hadn’t voiced his feelings back when they were in ANBU, and it wasn’t just reassignment concerns. He makes a sympathetic noise as he prods at his food. 

“Perhaps you don’t need words,” offers Tenzō. “What about giving them flowers?”

Kakashi’s eyes crease like he’s smiling. “I don’t think they need any.”

The answer is odd. Tenzō wonders if the person Kakashi is talking about works at the Yamanaka flower shop. He’s only been there a handful of times, so he doesn’t know if they have any staff close to Kakashi’s age. “You could write a letter. Then you’d have time to organize your thoughts.”

“I’ve never been very good at that kind of thing,” says Kakashi, a hand in his hair.

Distantly, Tenzō recalls a time where he’d been stationed in Suna for two months. He’d written a letter to Kakashi asking about Konoha. His reply had been two lines.  _It’s the same as you left it_.  _I hope you’re well_. There hadn’t even been a signature. 

Tenzō imagines Kakashi leaving a note on someone’s doorstep that merely says,  _Date me_ , and smirks. It’s not a terrible idea. “If you know them, wouldn’t a simple request be enough?”

Kakashi laughs. “Believe it or not, I’ve tried that. They misinterpreted.”

It’s almost amusing that a genius like Kakashi could fall for someone who is foolish enough to miss a romantic overture. “What about...” Tenzō gestures vaguely with his free hand. “Making a move?”

His companion responds with a bemused look. “Shouldn’t I take them out before I do that?” Kakashi inquires. 

That is, Tenzō concedes, the better path. Particularly if Kakashi is looking for more than a fling. After a moment, he suggests, “You could take them out  _and_  make a move. There’d be no misinterpreting that.”

Kakashi taps his fingers on the table. “What sort of move should I make?”

It’s Tenzō’s turn to chuckle. With a tinge of warmth in his cheeks, he says, “I’ve seen the kind of books you read. Figure it out.”

The sound of Kakashi pushing the rice across the table doesn’t quite cover his unseemly titters. “You’re going to make a terrible date,” says Tenzō, but the grin on his face contradicts him. 

* * *

 “You look ridiculous,” Tenzō tells Kakashi when he spots him. He knew he’d been taking too long to wash himself. “Do you really need to wear a towel on your face?”

The last time they’d been to a hot spring together, it had been nearly a decade ago. It hadn’t been in Konoha, but Tenzō’s certain that in general, Kakashi had been less cagey about the general population seeing his face back then. There are only a handful of men in the water aside from Tenzō anyway.

“The hot spring was your idea,” Kakashi reminds him as he slips into the water beside Tenzō. “It’s good to keep some of my mystique.”

Tenzō snorts. “What mystique? We’ve known each other for twenty years. I’ve seen your face.”

Kakashi splashes him. “Village mystique. I’ve got to keep my dignity as the Sixth.”

“If you say so,” says Tenzō closing his eyes and sinking deeper into the water. He feels some of the knots in shoulders loosen as he soaks. 

For all that it is strange to help Kakashi in this particular endeavour, Tenzō cannot deny that it’s made for a good evening. He may be curious as to who Kakashi might go to this much trouble for, but if Tenzō gets a free dinner and the company he enjoys best out of it, it’s hardly a burden.  _If he wanted to try any other test-runs, I’d oblige him_ , Tenzō thinks contentedly. 

“It’s been a long while since I’ve had a night off,” says Kakashi, sounding just as at ease at Tenzō feels. He hears a thump that must be the other man’s back pressing against the wall. 

He imagines that with as many strained muscles as he has, Kakashi’s must be worse. The past year has been a whirlwind of new duties for the both of them. It’s a miracle Kakashi’s apparently managed to meet someone who could fit into his hectic lifestyle in the first place. 

That thought in mind, Tenzō peers at him through one eye curiously. “Then why are you spending it with me, instead of your mystery friend? Not that I mind your company.”

Kakashi would probably shrug if his shoulders weren’t beneath the water. As it is, he doesn’t even open his eyes, the towel nearly falling off his face when his cheeks lift. “I wanted to spend time with you, Tenzō.”

“And practice being charming?” Tenzō replies, willing away yet another flush of his skin that has little to do with the steam. 

“That too. Good so far?”

Tenzō flicks water at him. “You’d do better without the towel.”

Kakashi lets out a mock gasp, both eyes flying open. “Well, aren’t you a cheap date?”

Tenzō feigns ignorance when the nearby shrubbery decides to shed its leaves in Kakashi’s hair.

* * *

“Aren’t we passing your apartment?” asks Tenzō, when they are warm and dry and ambling through the streets of Konoha. The sky is dark, but there’s enough light around the city centre to spot Kakashi’s residence easily.

“What kind of date would I be if I didn’t escort you home?” Kakashi asks.

The jolt Tenzō feels in his stomach almost makes him wish his friend wouldn’t tease. But he’s older than he once was, so he teases back. “A bad one, I suppose. You’re doing much better than I expected.”

Looking at him askance, his companion replies, “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know.  _Icha Icha_  quotes. Splitting the bill. Maybe being interrupted by Naruto.”

Kakashi nudges his shoulder. “That’s why I had you plan the date.”

“Planning is only half the battle,” says Tenzō, wanting to give credit where it’s due. “You have to be able to keep up a conversation. Otherwise there’d be no way to test your chemistry.”

“I think our chemistry is fine,” says Kakashi blithely. He must be talking of his potential partner. The partiality in his voice sparks more curiosity in Tenzō. 

“Well that’s good,” Tenzō remarks, not wishing to pry. His head has enough questions to reflect on when he goes to bed. “If you want something lasting, it’s important that you feel strongly about someone.”

“I do,” Kakashi assures him. “We’ve reached your place.”

Staring at the building he constructed just over a year ago, Tenzō nods. “So we have.”

He expects Kakashi to turn around and walk away, and he’s surprised when Kakashi begins following him up the steps. “Kakashi-senpai?”

“I’m walking you to your door,” he explains.

Tenzō rolls his eyes. He’s determined to see the performance through to the end, it seems. When they hover at the top of the steps, Tenzō tells him, “Goodnight, Kakashi. Thank you for inviting me out.”

Kakashi straightens up a bit, removing his hands from his pockets. Quite seriously, he asks, “So, did you enjoy yourself?”

Tenzō smiles. “Yes. Your friend is very lucky.”

Kakashi moves forward half a step. “I’m glad you think so,” he says, raising a hand to settle on Tenzō’s neck. 

The other man has half a mind to ask Kakashi what he’s doing, but it is very hard to concentrate over the thudding of his pulse and with Kakashi’s hand warm and steady just underneath his jaw. Everything else fades to white noise when Kakashi reveals his smile and leans in. When their lips brush, Tenzō has forgotten the question entirely. 

“Thanks for your help,” says Kakashi when he draws back, pulling his mask back up. 

Tenzō blinks. And then blinks again, because he needs the extra moment. “What was that for?”

Kakashi offers him a horrendous imitation of a wink. “Figure it out.”

It is a full minute later, when Kakashi has already moved away from him and into the streets, that Tenzō realizes he’s been had. 

“Kakashi!” he shouts to no one, but he swears he hears laughter. 


End file.
